Good Sisters by Sinéad Moriarty

Author:Sinéad Moriarty [Moriarty, Sinéad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781844886357
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2024-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

20. Louise

Clara was curled up on the couch petting Luna while she hummed ‘Fernando’. She was small for her age. Small and pale because she hated sports and only liked being outside if we were bird-watching or in a quiet park or forest.

I sat down beside her. ‘Well done on your tests, sweetie. All As, you clever girl.’

Clara stopped humming. ‘I only ever want to get As. Never, ever Bs.’

I stroked Luna. ‘I know, but it’s okay if you do get a B sometimes.’

‘No, Mummy, it’s not okay. I want As. I want to be as clever as you.’

‘You’re cleverer than I was at your age.’

‘Am I?’

Probably not, but Clara was very bright and had a photographic memory, like I did. Still, I didn’t want her putting too much pressure on herself because if she did get a B, it would lead to a meltdown.

‘I think so. I got Bs sometimes,’ I lied.

‘Julie said you were the cleverest in the whole school.’

‘It wasn’t that hard, our school wasn’t a particularly good school, to be honest.’

It hadn’t been. It was the local secondary school, the teachers were very average and only about thirty per cent of the girls went on to third-level education, so the bar was not set particularly high. I hadn’t enjoyed school. It had been something I’d needed to get through to achieve my goal, which was to study law at Cambridge. Julie had loved it and was in the thick of everything, sports, musicals, social life. Sophie was modelling part-time from the age of fifteen, so she had to deal with a fair bit of jealousy. She hadn’t liked school much either.

‘How are you getting on with the other kids? Is Jarlath being nicer to you?’

Clara picked Luna up and held her close. ‘No. He says I’m weird and useless at games, so he never asks me to play. I don’t mind, Mummy, I hate playing dodgeball. Why do people want to be hit by a ball? It’s so stupid.’

I laughed. ‘I agree. I always thought dodgeball was a ridiculous game.’

She smiled and I took the opportunity to tell her I was going away.

‘So, this weekend, Julie, Sophie, Granddad and I are going away for two days.’

Clara squeezed Luna tighter. I was on thin ice.

‘I’ll only be gone Friday, Saturday and back on Sunday. I’ll be back to tuck you into bed on Sunday night.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Italy.’

‘Why?’

‘For a little family trip away.’

‘What time will you leave and come back?’

‘I’ll bring you to school on Friday, then pick up your aunties and go to the airport for a ten-fifty flight. I’ll be back on Sunday. My flight lands at six twenty so I’ll be home before you go to sleep at eight. Gavin will pick you up from school on Friday and bring you back to his apartment for two days, okay? You’ll be sleeping in his spare bedroom. I’ll drop off your blanket and your bedside lamp, your pyjamas, iPad and your headphones. Luna is going with you too.

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